Are football players' brains the key to deciphering brain injury?

On behalf of Rosenbaum & Rosenbaum, P.C. posted in Brain Injury on Thursday, September 5, 2013.

Traumatic brain injury is one of the leading causes of deaths in the country. Whether the cause is a motor vehicle accident, a fall or a sport injury, a violent blow to the head can result in a concussion, which can, in turn, lead to a serious disability or even death. Brain injury treatment does not guarantee full recovery. In some cases, a victim needs long-term care. Readers in New York may be interested in some recent findings regarding traumatic brain injury in football players.

Brain diseases -- such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease that is caused by repeat brain trauma and concussion -- are common among football players, boxers, wrestlers and hockey players. CTE in particular has been sensationalized by the recent suicides of several retired professional football players who had been diagnosed with CTE.

In an ongoing effort to study brain disease, medical researchers examined the brains of 36 deceased athletes. Posthumous diagnoses indicated that 22 of the athletes experienced mood and behavioral problems as a first indication of CTE and that 11 of them had difficulties with thinking and memory. The remaining three did not show any symptoms. Patients in the mood and behavioral group tended to be more violent, both verbally and physically, compared to patients who had thinking and memory symptoms. Depression is another sign of the disease.

Residents of Manhattan, New York, or anywhere in the country may need to check the behavior of their loved ones who may be exhibiting these symptoms following an accident. Identifying the signs and symptoms early on may help in addressing the disease.

Brain injury treatment is costly and may affect the family's finances. Seeking compensation is a viable option if the injury is a result of someone else's negligence. If so, brain injury victims or their families may file personal injury lawsuits against the responsible parties in order to be compensated for short- and long-term care.

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